No Perfect People Allowed - Chapter 10

Tribal Truth: Creating the Culture of Incarnational Truth


Here are some quotes from the chapter.

From a skeptical friend invited to Gateway church, "The main thing I've liked about the atmosphere here and in the small groups is that this church is more like a teaching church. It's okay to ask questions and people will explain if they know, but they're also comfortable saying, 'I don't know on that one.'"


Taste of Community is a six-week, no obligation try at a small group. Good idea


I found out that battling with ups and downs was normal and even the path to spiritual growth.

Most people do not realize that intellectual arguments are almost never the final bulwark of resistance to God's leadership. Fear that God's way will be a net loss of life tends to be the final barrier.

Better to lead people through questions, beginning where you have common agreement, so that they come to their own conclusions. Even though you directed them through the questions, they will be more willing to accept your conclusion because you helped them engage in discovering it for themselves.

Many people process truth in community. Many times spiritual seekers change tribes before they change beliefs.

While new Christ-followers need new spiritually supportive friends around them, if encouraged to live out their faith boldly without disconnecting from the old tribe, many see whole groups of friends eventually find faith.

The best measure of Christian community is whether people experience what Jesus is like through our skin.

So when we are functioning as the community of Christ, his Body, people experience the Truth as he makes himself known through his community, and many beleive and follow! This incarnate Truth overcomes postmodern relativism, agnostic cynicism, and pragmatic skepticism.

Maybe only person-to-person is the truth accurately re-presented: that there is a God who loves you, and he will teach you to love others as you follow him.